Adam Tarnowski, career diplomat, was Austria's Ambassador to Sofia, Bulgaria in 1915. He was given the task of convincing the Bulgarians to join the Central Powers, and conveyed extravagant offers of Serbian territory, generous loans, and military aid from Germany and Austria. Thus, it was a great success in his career when Tsar Ferdinand declared war on Serbia and marched troops on Nish and also the Vardar valley where the Army of the Orient attempted to push to Serbia's aid.

In 1916, Tarnowski was given the Ambassadorship in Washington DC, and replaced Ambassador Dr. Constantin Dumba, whose reputation was tarnished after being accused of espionage. Though the charges were groundless, they nevertheless stuck to Tarnowski soon after his arrival, and the "Dumba Affair" turned into the "Tarnowski Affair." To be continued...

GWS, 6/01

Ambassador Tarnowski in His Own Words...

Interview upon his arrival to the United States, 1 February 1917. "The peace proposals of the Central Powers were dictated by motives of good to humanity. They were spurned by the Entente Allies, and the struggle must now go one.

"It is years ago since I left this country a young man, and here I am returning an old man. The sight of New York brings vividly to my mind the passing of the years. I am glad to be back again, and I regard my elevation to this post as the greatest possible reward for what I have done for my country. Just before I left Austria, I had an audience with the new Emperor. He gave me official instructions to cultivate the most cordial relations with the United States.

In the meantime, "both Germany and Austria feel they could fight for a long time yet, but for humanitarian reasons, they had been moved to make the peace overtures. Hungary is united in its support of the Empire, and shows great interest and patriotism. The Poles are happy now that the Central Powers have declared for a free Poland. The kingdom is not yet fully established but the promise of it and the steps taken to carry it into execution are pleasant things for the Poles.

"These reports [of food shortages] are much exaggerated. There is no scarcity in Austria-Hungary. We have never been hungry since the war began and we are in a position for years to come. Food is, of course, more expensive than usual, but the supply is ample."